I am a long time C++ programmer. The customer wants to go to the web. Time for me to learn Java.

JavaFX is Here

Today I was reading the latest issue of Software Development Times magazine. There was an article on JavaFX in the first couple pages. Years ago I would have skipped over it. Now my eyes are trained to spot Java related technologies and dig in.

JavaFX is a platform for rich client Java applications. They can run as desktop or web applications. It is a late comer to the rich Internet application scene. AJAX, Adobe Flex, and Microsoft Silverlight are the competitors. And they have all beat Sun to the punch.

Strangely enough, Sun Microsystems considers JavaFX a replacement for PHP. Its biggest benefit is the ability to use Java classes. It can run in the Java Virtual Machine. Some call the syntax similar to that of JSON.

You can use JavaFX for things such as animation and special effects. I would have thought you could use Swing for that. In fact, many of the user interface controls in JavaFX come from Swing. I am busy learning the basics of Java right now. However JavaFX might be worthwhile when I get my legs in Java basics.